Canada in the Asia Pacific Century

Luncheon presentation by the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada

Registration:12:15 pm
Luncheon: 12:30 pm
Close: 2:00 pm

The Canadian Government is leading the most ambitious trade agenda in its history and has made its relations with Asia a top foreign policy priority. Canada, in the last six years, has concluded nine Free Trade Agreements and is pursuing agreements with India, Japan and South Korea. It has also joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations with ten countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Canada has signed a Foreign Investment Protection Agreement with China and an Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty with Hong Kong, further consolidating Canada’s long-standing and comprehensive political, commercial and people-to-people ties with Hong Kong. Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable John Baird, will speak on the increasingly important relationship between Canada and Asia Pacific economies and the opportunities offered for long-term prosperity through further liberalizing trade and deepening political and economic relations on both sides of the Pacific. He will also present Canada’s trade and investment plans as well as its contribution to foster peace, security and good governance across the region.

John Baird became Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2011. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006, and in the same year, was sworn in as President of the Treasury Board, during which he introduced and successfully steered the new Federal Accountability Act through both Houses of Parliament. In 2007, he was named Minister of the Environment and became Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities the following year, where he spearheaded the design, negotiation and delivery of some 12,000 infrastructure stimulus projects across the country. In 2010, he was named Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, and during 2010 to 2011, he undertook additional responsibilities as Minister of the Environment. Baird graduated in political studies from Queen’s University.

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